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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. (AP)
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Last update - 17:36 19/10/2007
FM Tzipi Livni condemns Belarusian President's anti-Semitic remarks
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Thursday harshly criticized anti-Semitic remarks made by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at a press conference last week.

Lukashenko said during a press conference last week that the problems in the Belarusian town of Bobruisk were a direct result of Jewish activity in the city.

"This is a Jewish town, and Jews do not look after the cities in which they live. Take Israel for example, I was there and I saw it myself," the Belarusian leader said. He added that the status of the city improved only after the Jews left, while simultaneously urging "Jews who have money" to return to Bobruisk.
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Livni condemned Lukashenko's remarks, saying "it is the responsibility of world leaders to battle anti-Semitism, which rears its ugly head in various places around the world, not promote it. Anti-Semitism reflects first and foremost on the community in which it appears, and on its leaders."

Israel's ambassador to Minsk is now in Israel on holiday, and the Foreign Ministry considered postponing his return. It was later decided that such a harsh measure would further deepen the crisis. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, however, that they will "not hesitate to summon our ambassador if such utterances are repeated."

The Belarusian ambassador to Israel has been summoned to the Foreign Ministry to be reprimanded, most likely on Friday.

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      1.   Idiot Livni..take a look in your own backyard 18:05  |  GrossedOut 18/10/07
      2.   What do you expect from an uneducated clown? 18:17  |  Piotr 18/10/07
      3.   what comes around goes around - anti-sem and anti-arabism 18:37  |  0 degrees 18/10/07
      4.   Let`s not forget 18:42  |  Yonatan 18/10/07
      5.   0 Degrees-educate us, please 19:08  |  Stephen 18/10/07
      6.   An Ignorant Peasant 19:10  |  Bill Foonman 18/10/07
      7.   Grossedout,it could be you`re right,Livni hides her bed fellow 19:11  |  Absolute Sweden 18/10/07
      8.   return to Bobruisk 19:17  |  aes 18/10/07
      9.   #3 Dreaming 19:24  |  JOJO 18/10/07
      10.   0 Degrees 19:28  |  Empresaria 18/10/07
      11.   Belarusian anti-semite mild compared to PA 20:27  |  RAY 18/10/07
      12.   Doesn`t really sound like anti-Semitism to me 20:40  |  Global Citizen 18/10/07
      13.   LUKASHENKO : ANOTHER PATHETIC FASCIST IN ANOTHER ZERO COUNTRY 20:59  |  Lou Knee 18/10/07
      14.   ALI BABACAN of TURKEY and LUKASCHENKO of BELARUS:ROTTEN APPLES 21:13  |  T.Rash 18/10/07
      15.   Article Incoherent 21:21  |  Dovy 18/10/07
      16.   Lukashenko praises Hitler 21:36  |  Dmitri 18/10/07
      17.   Belarus--still the same 22:26  |  Miransky 18/10/07
      18.   bielorussia 22:52  |  siegfried buchwalte 18/10/07
      19.   #12 Doesn`t Sound Like Anti-Semitism? 23:00  |  Bill Foonman 18/10/07
      20.   Is this Lukashenko or Borat? 23:05  |  chichi 18/10/07
      21.   Belarussia 23:12  |  siegfried buchwalte 18/10/07
      22.   #3 Mr or Mrs Zero, Please name any Israeli PM or President .. 23:48  |  Max Zinger,P.Chimist 18/10/07
      23.   The only lamp post in Bobruisk 00:30  |  Ky 19/10/07
      24.   In 1997 threr were only 2800 Jews in Bobruisk 00:31  |  Ralph 19/10/07
      25.   anti-Semitism -WRONG term 00:53  |  dig it 19/10/07
      26.   So much good comes from the Jews 02:03  |  Catholic Man 19/10/07
      27.   So much good comes from the Jews 02:03  |  Catholic Man 19/10/07
      28.   Tzipi has an Arabian boyfriend, 02:05  |  Moise 19/10/07
      29.   Israel whining about words while its own actions are abhorrent 02:26  |  Schlomo Joe 19/10/07
      30.   The Disease of Anti-Semiticsm and Israel as the reinfecting agent 03:14  |  0 degrees 19/10/07
      31.   Schlomo is also wrong 03:15  |  dig it 19/10/07
      32.   to Catholic Man 03:32  |  dig it 19/10/07
      33.   Belorus 04:55  |  Jozef 19/10/07
      34.   Livni -are you from Babruisk ? This is very famous 05:48  |  Sal 19/10/07
      35.   Hey...wasn`t this guy in Borat? 06:21  |  Nechama 19/10/07
      36.   Send Lukashenko and Ahmadinejad to Alaska 07:46  |  Fortuna Benmayor 19/10/07
      37.   #28 07:50  |  Rob 19/10/07
      38.   Be men! 08:27  |  Honi 19/10/07
      39.   ever ask yourself why people have this negative opinion of Jews? 09:14  |  Liam 19/10/07
      40.   #15 Dovy 10:06  |  Itsik 19/10/07
      41.   #18 10:08  |  Itsik 19/10/07
      42.   #37 Honi 10:21  |  Itsik 19/10/07
      43.   Liam 10:26  |  dig it 19/10/07
      44.   Livni is right 10:32  |  Ralph is back 19/10/07
      45.   Belarusian President`s anti-Semitic remarks 10:42  |  A Concerned Israeli 19/10/07
      46.   LUKASHENKO :THE WC JANITOR WHO ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS 10:47  |  Lou Knee 19/10/07
      47.   This is an internal matter 11:22  |  Peter XM 19/10/07
      48.   Actually he`s right about Israel not taking care of it`s towns 11:22  |  don 19/10/07
      49.   FM Livni should first look at her hump 11:41  |  Joseph E . 19/10/07
      50.   Typically Anti-Semitic Self Contradiction 11:42  |  Efox 19/10/07
      51.   That is not an antisemitic remark 11:46  |  Edith 19/10/07
      52.   #4, Yonatan. Yeah, Yoni, let`s not forget. Did you mix the door? 12:22  |  zmogus 19/10/07
      53.   Dissecting Lukashenka`s observation and comparison 13:40  |  zmogus 19/10/07
      54.   #51, Efox. And how different you are from Lukashenko? (1) 15:22  |  zmogus 19/10/07
      55.   Orthodox Jews Have Caused Friction on East European Small Towns 15:22  |  Truth Magnified 19/10/07
      56.   #51, Efox. And how different you are from Lukashenko? (2) 15:35  |  zmogus 19/10/07
      57.   Truth Magnified - What Kind Of Friction? 15:50  |  Eli 19/10/07
      58.   Tatty Israeli towns & 3rd world dictators 15:53  |  Stan 19/10/07
      59.   To Liam 15:54  |  Amir 19/10/07
      60.   Livni is right of course but 16:28  |  Mark b. 19/10/07
      61.   Belarussia 16:38  |  siegfried buchwalte 19/10/07
      62.   Mehmet - I have a serious question to you 16:40  |  David Israel 19/10/07
      63.   How does this article, subject, and talkbacks, (together) SMELL? 16:46  |  S 19/10/07
      64.   Tell Me Something I Didn`t Know 16:52  |  Tony Anthony 19/10/07
      65.   To Liam and the other "Jews deserve it" crew 17:21  |  ZISD 19/10/07
      66.   I don`t hate all Belarussians 17:25  |  Seeker 19/10/07
      67.   MAGNIFIED OR DIMINISHED? #56 17:37  |  JOJO 19/10/07
      68.   Belarussia 17:45  |  siegfried buchwalte 19/10/07
      69.   Churchill`s wisdom for Slowman 17:48  |  Barak Ravid 19/10/07
      70.   TO CATHOLIC MAN 17:49  |  JOJO 19/10/07
      71.   re: zmogus 18:18  |  Efox 19/10/07
      72.   ever ask yourself why people have this negative opinion of Jews? 19:30  |  Person 19/10/07
      73.   Person # 73 - Have You Ever Thought Why People Have Negative 19:57  |  Eli 19/10/07
      74.   re: Person 19:58  |  Efox 19/10/07
      75.   #72 Efox 20:03  |  Labhras 19/10/07
      76.   Old memories 20:24  |  Tosefta 19/10/07
      77.   Wise of him to be wary of Jews 20:38  |  Virginia Pearcy 19/10/07
      78.   zmogus 20:45  |  Danite 19/10/07
      79.   dont compare 21:49  |  sweis Melbourne 19/10/07
      80.   siegfried 21:53  |  sweis Melbourne 19/10/07
      81.   Old memories 22:29  |  Tosefta 19/10/07
      82.